I think God made swamps just for kids to wade through them, but
Mum didn't see it that way.

As soon as Cliff and I arrived home from school, we pulled on our
gum rubber boots and ran out the back door. Mum's voice trailed after us,
"Don't go wading in the swamp."

We really didn't intend to go roaming through the swamp but we saw
beautiful gold threads and star flowers beckoning to us through the alder
bushes. I very carefully stepped on a large rock and then on to a clump of
earth and was just about ready to reach for a flower, when my foot slipped
into the soft mud. Down, down I sank until my gum rubber was totally immersed
in the brown mucky water. Once I reached solid ground, I dumped the water
out of the boot and tried to wipe my stockings clean by rubbing them with
dried grass.

Shortly we heard Mum calling us for supper and we rushed to the house.
I kicked off my boots just as Mum stepped into the porch. She looked at
me and asked, "Did you go into the swamp and go over the top of those boots?"

I replied, "No, The reason my foot is wet is cause my boot leaks."

Mum quickly retorted, "There is not one iota of truth in that story,"
and returned to the kitchen to put supper on the table.

I whispered to Cliff that I thought she was really mad as she never
used swear words like that before.

As the years passed, I learned that iota was the smallest letter in
the Greek Alphabet and meant a little bit.

Ford Alward must have been thinking of the word that meant the opposite
of iota when he compiled the four volumes ‘Alward - Distinguished For
Loyalty.' A story of two Loyalist Cousins and their descendants - Benjamin
and Oswald Alward. The total pages in the four volumes is 2400 including
a 427-page index, fifty thousand names and many pictures. The index also
includes the names of the known parents of spouses.

Benjamin and Oswald Alward were loyalist who settled in New Canaan,
Queens County in the 1790s. The cousins raised 22 children who married and
had families. By tracing the lines of the daughters as being equal to the
sons, over 23,000 descendants are identified in the book. Although the vast
majority have made a life for themselves in Canada, others have gone to Australia,
New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and England and to practically every state in the
US.

As to their occupations, many followed the life of their original
New Brunswick ancestor and followed the plough in summer and fell the tree
in the winter. Others sought a less laborious way of life and became teachers.

Two descendants, born in New Canaan, were prominent in Saint John.
Dr. Aaron A. Alward, a medical doctor, was mayor from 1866-70 and Grit MLA
from 1870-74. Dr. Silas Alward, a prominent lawyer, was Grit MLA from
1887-1899.

The families of Price, Keith, Perry, Clark, Corey, Humphrey and many
others entwined with the Alward families

The title of the book ‘Alward - Distinguished For Loyalty' includes
a term used by a witness to describe Benjamin Alward when he registered
his claim for compensation in 1785. It also applies to Ford Alward in his
attempt to reconnect the members of a widely dispersed family.

* * *

Query 98-675Hays - Bulger: William Hays married Christina Bulger on Oct. 8,
1825. This announcement was in the newspaper, the Acadian Recorder in 1825.
I would like to find information about their children, one of whom was also
named William.
-Betty J. Hays Woods, P.O.Box 231853 Anchorage, Alaska, 99523. Telephone
(907) 337-7474. Fax (907) 929-3675. E-mail to davidandbetty@gci.net.

Query 98-676Perry - O'Toole: I am seeking the parents of the Rev. John Perry
(born 1821) who was minister of the Baptist church in Victoria Corners,
Carleton County (Florenceville - Connell area) during the 1890s and early
1900s. His wife was Catherine O'Toole. I believe he was also the Baptist
minister in Springfield, Kings County during the mid to late 1880s. There
is another Rev. John Perry, who was a Baptist minister in Norton in 1871,
who possibly may have been his father? I do know that the Perry family were
United Empire Loyalists and were granted land in Lower Canada. The Rev. John
Perry was an uncle to the New Brunswick MLA, Gladstone Perry and I am also
trying to locate biographical information about Gladstone, in the hope that
it will shed further light on our ancestry. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Connie Fitzpatrick, 39 Millpark
Road SW, Calgary, AB, T2Y 2N6. E-mail to cjfitzpatrick@home.com.

Query 98-677Titus Hill Cemetery - Titusville: I am compiling information on
the people buried in Titus Hill Cemetery at Titusville. I am interested in
any information that can be found on these people; newspaper clippings
dealing with births, marriages, obituaries or notes of general interest;
pictures; school attended; residences; ancestors and descendants.
-R. M. Cusack. E-mail to rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca.

Query 98-678Hamilton - Gray - McAuley: Jane Hamilton, daughter of Elizabeth
McAuley and John Hamilton of Lancaster was married by the Rev. S. Jones
Hanford on Nov. 04, 1883 in Barnesville to John Gray. Their three known children
are: Elizabeth, Alice Maude and William. I am interested in finding
information on the Gray and Hamilton families.
--John Stevens, 3 East Avenue, Lisbon Falls, Maine, USA, 04252. E-mail
to stevensj@gwi.net.

Query 98-679Morrow - McColgan - Calvin: Thomas Morrow (1801-1896) was married
on June 20,1839 to Margaret McColgan (1820-1899). They lived in Grand Bay
for many years. I am seeking information on their descendants as well as
the descendants of their siblings for a reunion to be held on June 26 at
Kennebunck, Maine. If you are related to or have any information on these
families, I would appreciate hearing from you.
-Bob Chambers, 63 Ganniston Dr., Augusta, Maine, USA., 04330. Telephone
207-622-4605. E-mail to RCham30607@aol.com.

Ruby M. Cusack is a genealogy buff
living in New Brunswick, Canada. Send your New Brunswick genealogical queries
to her at: rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca. Please put "Query" followed
by the surnames in your query as the subject. For more information on submitting
queries, visit http://www.rubycusack.com/Query-Instructions.html